Chile-Lime Grilled Chicken with Avocado Yogurt Sauce and Cucumber Salad

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Getting kids to eat can be a monumental task.

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As you may have seen elsewhere on the blog, my husband and I have two little girls. Ages 3 and 5, they are practically polar opposites: our oldest is cautious and shy, creative and calm, while her younger sister is a whirlwind of energy who has absolutely no fear. Not surprisingly, those personalities almost directly translate into their eating habits as well. My oldest prefers consistency, and isn’t into trying new things – at all. My youngest? Does. Not. Care. If it’s food? She’ll eat it. With vigor.

I’ve learned that the one thing I’ve been able to do to get my oldest to break out of her cautious little bubble with any real luck (at least when it comes to food) is to include her in the kitchen. When she’s involved, she gets excited about the food – even if it’s something she insists she doesn’t like (in this case, avocado. Oh, and cucumber. And tomatoes. And…okay, you get the point).

Giving my children age appropriate tasks in the kitchen has become something they look forward to every time I cook. I’ll admit – at first, I had a hard time giving up control. But seeing them get excited about food gives me a joy that far outweighs the need for everything to be perfect. There are so many ways that including kids in the kitchen can be beneficial, not only for them, but for you as well. Time spent together in the kitchen can teach important life skills, further nurture your relationships, and help everyone grow! Here are just a few benefits to including your kids in kitchen prep:

• Learning to follow instructions
• Learning to work together as a team
• Learning crucial skills for self care
• Learning healthy eating habits that they’ll carry into adulthood
• Understanding the importance of a healthy diet
• Spending quality time together
• Associating healthy eating and food with love

Messes can be cleaned. Get those kiddos cooking!

Today’s recipe is a wonderful place to start. Serve it with some cilantro-lime quinoa or, as shown in this picture, some cauliflower rice. I used Alexia brand – done in 10 minutes on the stovetop, great texture and taste. BTW, isn’t my plate pretty? Pioneer Woman dinnerware for the win.

Kids can easily help with the following tasks:

• Measuring ingredients
• Whisking together the marinade and pouring it over the chicken
• Whisking together the cucumber salad dressing and mixing everything together
• Whisking together the avocado yogurt sauce
• Assembling the plate/setting the table

If you have older kids, have them slice up the cucumbers, tomatoes and scallions for the cucumber salad. With supervision, I even allow my 5-year-old to help me do simple knife work. Because she loves to help, we invested in some kid-friendly knives and some cut resistant gloves.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and share it on Instagram using #sewyummy. I’d love to see your pictures! Also, drop a rating or a comment if you feel so inclined.

Chile-Lime Grilled Chicken with Avocado Yogurt Sauce and Cucumber Salad

This dish is bursting with flavor and spice - your taste buds will thank you!

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Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 2

Equipment

• grill pan
• skillet

Ingredients

  

• 3/8 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 limes
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, divided
• 3 tsp garlic paste, divided or 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbs onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 tsp ancho chile powder, divided
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 3 tbs water
• 1/8 tsp himalayan salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tbs cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cucumber, sliced into half-moons
• 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, the juice from 1 lime, garlic paste (or garlic), onion, jalapeno and 1 tsp ancho chile powder until well combined. Add salt or pepper to taste as desired.
• Place chicken breasts in resealable bag, bowl or dish and pour marinade over top. Turn breasts until well coated, and marinate for at least 2 hours.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/8 cup olive oil, 1 tsp apple vider vinegar, 1 tsp garlic paste (or 1 minced garlic clove), juice from remaining lime and cilantro until well combined. Add salt or pepper as desired according to taste.
• Add cucumber, scallions and tomatoes to the bowl and toss until well coated. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat a grill pan over medium high heat for approximately one minute. Coat lightly with cooking spray and add chicken to pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees.
• While chicken cooks, combine avocado with juice of remaining lime, ancho chile powder, salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth.
• Add yogurt to the avocado mixture, and whisk until smooth.
• Add water to the avocado/yogurt mixture, 1/2 tbs at a time. Depending on the ripeness of your avocado, you may need more or less water. 3 tbs was perfect for me.

Keyword dinner, gluten free